Commissioners pay tribute Dr. King

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Delaware County Commissioners took a moment Thursday to pay tribute to the life, service, and sacrifices of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special resolution.

“We want to support and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. next Monday, so we’ve authored this resolution,” said Commissioner Barb Lewis. “It serves as a great reminder of Dr. King’s example in leadership, even today. I think we need that reminder today more than ever.”

Commission President Gary Merrell read the resolution.

The highlights of the resolution included, “… when we come together as a nation and celebrate the principles of equality and justice that make us uniquely American; … we honor the sacrifices that Dr. King made in his lifetime and that so many Americans continue to make today in their work to ensure that all Americans, regardless of their differences, have access to the same rights and opportunities; … we renew our commitment to honoring the dreams we share and to seeking peaceful resolutions to all conflict.”

Merrell said there are a few events that he remembers where he was when he had heard they had happened.

“The passing of John F. Kennedy was one of those dates, ” he said. “I can tell you exactly where I was when I heard about the passing of Martin Luther King.”

Merrell said he was at work in a grocery store back by the dairy area stocking shelves when he heard of King’s passing.

“Martin Luther King was a person who did it the right way,” Merrell said. “He was a great man who we all should be proud to call an American, a U.S. citizen.”

Martin Luther King Jr. day is Monday, Jan. 15 this year. President Ronald Reagan signed the federal holiday into law in 1983, designating the third Monday of January as Martin Luther King Day Jr. Day.

King was a Baptist minister and activist in the Civil Rights Movement as a spokesman for nonviolent activism against racial discrimination in federal and state law.

During the 1963 march on Washington, he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, earning the reputation as one of history’s greatest orators. In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent movement against racial inequality.

King was born Jan. 15, 1929 and assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Other business

Commissioners approved a contract between the Delaware County Board of Elections and SCS Consulting Services, Ltd. that is not to exceed $24,000 for the year.

Commissioners also approved two contracts of sale and purchase between Thomas Altman and Emma Altman, Dan Baltas, and the board of commissioners for the proposed East Powell Road improvements by the county engineer’s office at a total price of $34,051.

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By D. Anthony Botkin

[email protected]

Contact D. Anthony Botkin at 740-413-0902. Follow him on Twitter @dabotkin.

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